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UC Toolkit

Enables IT. Empowers Employees

Tools and resources to accelerate UC audio device adoption.

UC looks good on paper. Now make it sound good.

The UC Toolkit is an online portfolio of best practices, tools for IT, and end user training resources for UC audio device deployments. Review Plan, Deploy, and Adopt below for key insights to successful deployments. Learn more

Mitigate Risk

Review. Plan. Prepare.

How can you ensure maximum UC audio device adoption? Simple: Plan ahead. At this stage, it's important to consider individual and organizational requirements, your overall UC integration, and develop a strong communication strategy. The UC Toolkit Plan resources will help you map out the critical events for success.

FAQ

Why do I need a UC audio device deployment plan?

From audioconferencing to
telephony, the top UC functions
are audio dependent, so providing
your workers with devices that best
support those functions — from the
very first call — naturally maximizes
user adoption. But UC audio doesn’t
plug itself in; thorough planning
helps ensure a successful initial
experience for users and increases
the likelihood of solid return on your
UC investment.

This is our first UC audio device
deployment. Where do I start?

Look at the workstyles of your
employees. Are they primarily in the
office, mobile, or a combination?
Do they work at home? No one
wants to adopt entirely unfamiliar
habits, so think about how UC is
going to benefit them using ways in
which they work already. Depending
on their workstyle, users need a
different kind of audio device for
the way they will use UC.

How do I select the audio
devices to pilot?

Deciding on the right audio device
comes down to the workstyles of
your users. Some users connect to
a PC, a mobile phone, and a desk
phone throughout the day. Other
users require in-office mobility or
prefer to be hands free using a
corded headset or speakerphone,
whereas still others spend the bulk
of their day on the road. Make sure
the products you choose to pilot
will map to how your users work.

Which audio device features
should I test?

After you’ve reviewed and selected
the products to test, start mapping
functional requirements of product
features. Focus on basic ones as
well as those expected to be used
most. In addition to general product
features such as volume and mute
control, tested aspects might
include audio quality (sending and
receiving), ease of use, durability,
flexibility, wearing comfort, length
of talk time before recharging,
portability, and plug-and-play
capability — as well as overall user
experience. Develop a trial test
plan that meets your business
communication goals.

What kind of scenarios
should I pilot?

That depends on your organization
and the people in it. Many users
work from home, at the airport,
in cafes, and in other areas with
significant external noise, whereas
others work in an open office or
private office. Make sure you know
where and how your employees
normally work, and let that guide
the scenarios.

Who should participate in the
test group?

Your short list of candidates
should be a representative
cross-section that reflects the
way your organization works. For
example, executive administrators
and mobile workers typically are
excellent testers. Also, identify
potential super-users —
tech-savvy early adopters or
advocates for IT — to act as an
extension of IT.

How do I integrate UC audio
devices into my overall strategy?

Sometimes audio devices augment
your existing telephony. In other
cases, they replace desk phones
entirely. Hybrid scenarios are
also possible. It’s important
to understand the overall UC
objectives of your company and
then align your audio device
strategy accordingly.

What about users who want
wireless audio devices?

There are different wireless headset
technologies available, from
Bluetooth® to DECT™. Bear in mind
that, depending on the technology,
the number of wireless devices that
can work in a prescribed area varies.
Getting this balance right is crucial to
optimal headset performance. Again,
an understanding of the workstyles
of your users — whether in-office,
mobile, or virtual — will help you
choose the number, and the kind, of
wireless headsets you should pursue.

Why is it important to keep
employees in the loop?

Whenever you change the way
employees work, it’s vital to give
them a sense of ownership. From
the beginning, explain the ways it
will benefit them. Keep employees
continually informed. Most
important, make them feel as if their
specific needs guide the decisions.

How should I measure success?

Establish metrics that reflect how
much your audio devices can help
meet the goals of your organization.
For example, can you decrease
paid conference call minutes and
number of emails? How satisfied
are employees before and after
deployment? Agree on the key
performance indicators (KPIs) with
your management team and use
them as a barometer when you
evaluate potential devices.

Checklist

Determine Organizational and Employee Requirements

Continue to share information about where users can find
support: corporate intranet, wikis, videos, Webinars, and online
training for audio device setup and for setting up the audio device
with a specified softphone.

Define Success

Reference downloads

Change management

Manage. Engage. Deliver.

You've chosen your UC audio devices. Your plan is in place. Now, it's time to prepare for the physical deployment. The UC Toolkit Deploy resources help you identify everything from product receiving and storage logistics to creating a company-wide communication plan—and the best ways to support your employees' new UC audio devices.

FAQ

Why is deployment of UC audio
devices so important?

A smooth deployment will help
ensure user adoption. It sounds
simple — just deploy audio devices.
But if you have several thousand
employees, what is the best way
to deploy the right audio device
to the right employee? What
are the logistical scenarios an IT
organization needs to consider
and address? What about remote,
contract, or temporary employees?
A clear approach to deploying audio
devices across the organization is
required to achieve success.

What are the most important items
to consider?

Communication. Be sure to maintain
communication with your user base.
A well-informed audience feels it
has more personal investment and
will be more open and less stressed
about the changes.Logistics. Consider how you plan to
ship and install each audio device,
especially to remote users.Training and support. Engage
the IT support teams and ensure
that they’re trained and ready to
distribute and support the devices.

What should I communicate to
users during the deployment stage?

The focus should be on timelines
and expectations. Tell users what’s
happening, when it’s going to occur,
and what’s expected of them. Also,
don’t forget to inform them of
the training and support process.
Regular communication is key.

What are the best methods
of communicating about the
deployment?

A variety of communication
methods cater to how your users
learn best. Address their learning
styles to give them a deeper sense
of ownership and help you ensure
that everyone has had a chance to
get familiarized. Possible vehicles
include all-hands meetings,
company portals, and emails. Enlist
your company executives to help
deliver the message whenever
possible. When users feel that
senior executives have to walk
through the same on-boarding and
support, it helps reinforce goals and
softens resistance to change.

How do I best prepare the IT
organization?

Estimate with IT management
how much bandwidth should be
allocated to the support of UC
audio devices. To engage the
staff, enable the IT department
— especially the help desk and
UC support personnel — to try
as many of the deployed audio
devices as possible. In addition to
formal training, hands-on education
accelerates the knowledge of your
support team members. Arm them
with tips and tricks and prepare
them for the first support calls.

What are the best practices for
distributing audio devices?

It’s important to take into
consideration the physical location
of users, the amount of help that
individuals require, and whether
or not there are users who warrant
special attention — for example,
top executives. For a concentration
of users based in the same office,
consider a centralized station for
them to pick up and sign for audio
devices. Take them through an
initial hands-on or video training
exercise. Of course, you might need
to mail audio devices to mobile or
virtual employees and provide an
online training tool or Webinar.

What else does the user need
when receiving their audio device?

We recommend that you provide a Quick Setup Guide that is specific
to the issued audio device and your
UC platform. Guides should provide
customized instructions on how
to configure the new audio device
and how to make and receive calls.
Plantronics recognizes this as a
best practice and has created a
portfolio of Quick Setup Guides
featuring many of the Plantronics
UC product families. Also, consider
including a card with phone
numbers and email addresses that
employees can use for technical
assistance.

Who should install the audio
devices?

This depends on the technical
comfort of your employees, types
of audio devices, and UC platform.
Many corded headsets are plug and
play, so installation is simple. Others
require software, depending on
the UC application used. Wireless
audio devices are slightly more
involved, take longer to install, and
might require settings adjustments,
making it more likely that users will
require IT support.

Checklist

Choose the Way to Communicate the Process

Formulate communication and training methods that cater to the various ways
people learn. If possible, give choices such as Webinars, intranet downloads,
videos, in-person meetings, or posters.

Line Up Training for Your Support Staff

Talk to support staff and make the following preparations:

Determine support strategy: self-service, full-service, or a combination.
Your strategy might depend on the types of users and audio devices.

Account for support staff schedules and workloads during the deployment.

Select your distribution strategy:

Provide training.

Issue new audio devices to support staff.

Decide how you’ll manage exchanges and upgrades if users determine that the
audio device is not appropriate for their needs.

Handle Logistics

Align your delivery strategy with the number of devices and your user types
(in-office, virtual, and mobile workers) and decide on one of the following
means of distribution:

Utilize a central site.

Drop off (or install) audio devices at the desks of users.

Ship audio devices to remote workers.

Support Installations

Communicate to users the resources available to help with installation.

Reference downloads

Moment of truth

Assist. Achieve. Analyze.

Will your employees' first UC audio device experience be a good one? The UC Toolkit Adopt resources help you ensure a positive "moment of truth" - that key moment when they realize their new device is one they'll use and enjoy. Use these tools to help you think about the best ways to achieve the highest user adoption rates, gauge the level of user satisfaction, and improve your future product rollouts.

FAQ

What does user adoption mean – and
why should I care about it?

User adoption means that users are
making the transition from their old
ways of voice communication to a new
and improved way. The key to adoption
is making that first user experience
a successful one. This moment
establishes confidence and encourages
ongoing use of the new audio devices.
Adoption is important in validating the
company’s investment and improves
business results.

Why is that first call such a critical
“moment of truth,” and what can I do
to improve the success rate?

The moment of truth is when a user
makes their first call. A successful
first call leads to another and builds
momentum. On the other hand, a
problematic first call might discourage
a user from using their new device.
Encourage users to make a test call
to your help desk or support staff.
If that experience goes smoothly,
the user is more likely to continue
using the device. If it goes poorly, IT
is immediately available to provide
troubleshooting assistance.

What tools should I have available
if users need assistance with their
new devices?

How can I verify if the audio
devices are being used?

Provide a feedback mechanism to get
user comments and learn about any
issues. Of course, this method requires
the user to take action. An alternative
best practice is simply to walk the
office floor on a regular basis, listen
to your employees using their audio
devices, and engage a few of them
directly for feedback and comments.
Finally, stay in touch with your superusers
and executive administrators.
They’re often the first to know what’s
going on in the office.

What can increase adoption?

Highlight and promote user successes.
When a user successfully employs
a new audio device, colleagues will
be encouraged to try it themselves.
Create a fun internal corporate video
showing how audio devices make
collaboration simple and improve
productivity. Because the reluctance
to adopt is often based on fear of the
unknown, invite a mix of fast and
slow adopters to a focus group and
have them discuss their experiences
using the audio devices. Finally, ask
your executive sponsors to work with
corporate communications to share
their story.

How do I measure adoption success?

Surveying the user community soon
after deployment can help you gauge
the level of satisfaction and success.
The survey can be quantitative or
qualitative. Some sample questions:

Are you satisfied with your
audio device?

Does it work properly?

Have you made your first call,
and was it successful?

Are you getting the support
you need?

What can I do to show success to
management?

Refer to the agreed-upon metrics that
were established in the Plan stage and
share your successes early. Did paid
conference call minutes decrease?
Did the number of emails decrease?
What are the KPIs? UC platforms have
mechanisms for measuring user activity,
which can be utilized for reporting.
A UC platform — and its audio devices
— will be valued for its business merits.
Promoting usage and tracking it along
with attitudes toward the new UC
platform are the first steps in deriving
positive business results.

Users seem to be doing fine with their
UC audio devices. Do I still need to
monitor them?

When you’re proactive and establish
an ongoing appreciation of new
developments and changing user
requirements, you can see new trends
before they fully emerge. This approach
enables you to further the education
of users and encourage the right
behavior, while engendering a dialogue
that reveals that users themselves are
benefiting from UC.

How do you recommend managing
replacements and upgrades?

Technology moves quickly, so it’s vital
to get an upgrade policy and procedure
in place before it’s requested. After it’s
established, provide an easy and selfexplanatory
tool, ideally Web based,
that enables instant access to the list
of IT-approved UC audio devices. You
can opt for a self-managed solution
or work with your UC audio device
manufacturer. With this tool, employees
can see the options available to them
and analyze comparisons so that they
can make informed decisions.

Checklist

Verify Usage

Interview new users.

Set up feedback lines of communication.

Record the level and quality of usage that is taking place.

Address user anxiety.

Measure and Communicate Success

Use baselines to help you understand progress.

Track metrics recorded by your UC system.

Survey users and record their initial reactions to the first call.

Publish and promote success stories through internal newsletters,
blogs, and social media; feature users who make the UC audio
device part of their day.

Work with corporate communications on consistent, long-term
messaging. Reinforce the idea that the UC platform is a long-term
program and will not be superseded by the next corporate
initiative. Ask your executive sponsor to share personal successes.

Address New Concerns and Refresh Services

Conduct a follow-up study to accomplish these goals:

Measure user satisfaction.

Decide whether fundamental changes (such as work
environment or workstyle) have created challenges that require
a new or different audio device.

Respond with an approach that proactively considers users'
issues in the following ways:

Address concerns and provide alternatives when needed.

Engage slow adopters by empathizing with their hesitation
and offering to demonstrate simple features.

Update technical information; document lessons learned. Make
sure that changes to the UC platform, including new features or
different settings, are properly tested and communicated.

Establish a physical location where employees can do a quick check of their device, replace batteries, adjust settings, obtain new earpads, and have questions answered.

Support Upgrades

Keep the list of UC audio devices current at all times.

Be proactive when testing new devices. Test devices early
and add them to the approved list so that untested devices don’t
enter into your supported environment.

Establish an upgrade process that is easy to understand.

Support replacements:

Develop a warranty process and make the claim process
easy to understand.